Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Aug 22: In a bid to save face, the Shipping Department of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been planning to press all three sick vessels of A & N Islands in limited use.
Sick vessels MV Afra Bay, MV Karmatang and MV Chuglam were purchased nearly six years back by Andaman and Nicobar Administration but due to multiple defects and design flaws these ships worth several crores could not be pressed into service even for one day.
Nearly a month back the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands had directed the Shipping Department to either put these vessels in use after repairs.
Talking to media the Director of Shipping Services, Captain Rajendra Kumar today said that the vehicle ferry vessels MV Afra Bay and MV Karmatang were designed with Jet Propulsion engine, which needs manoeuvring with joysticks.
“There were some problems with the design but we are trying to rectify the faults and put these vessels in some limited use,” Capt. Rajendra Kumar added.
These two roll on-roll off vehicles ferries were commissioned on 27 January 2009 to augment the services in harbour ferry sectors. It was supposed to improve the services between Middle strait and Baratang as well as Gandhi Ghat and Uttara Jetty in Kadamtala, Middle Andaman.
Both the vessels were built jointly by GRSE Ltd and Corporate Shipyard Pvt Limited, Kolkata in 2008. The vessels were designed and supervised by National Ship Design & Research Centre, Vizag, a Ministry of Shipping & Transport Enterprise. But the design finally showed major flaws.
Regarding MV Chuglam, he said that the vessel has been handed over to SCI and that vessel will also be put in some use very soon.
Various political parties and media have been demanding for a CBI inquiry in these vessel purchase deal since last many years.
